Domain forwarding redirects visitors from one web address to another. Once a domain is registered, you can enable forwarding from the Reseller Control Panel by pointing the domain at the forwarding service and adding a forward record. How the forward behaves depends on the type of forward you set.
About domain forwarding
Forwarding lets a domain send visitors to a different destination URL without hosting a site itself. You can apply it to a root domain, a single sub-domain, or all sub-domains with a wildcard. Forwarding works only when the domain uses OpenSRS nameservers.
Types of domain forwarding
Choose the type that matches which addresses you want to redirect:
Type | Details | Example |
|---|---|---|
Root level redirect | A forward set for the root level domain name. | domain.com forwards to destinationdomain.com, but test.domain.com does not. |
Sub-domain wildcard redirect | A wildcard forward set for any sub-domain (*.domain.com). Anything before the dot is redirected to the destination. | test.domain.com, shop.domain.com, and my.domain.com forward to destinationdomain.com, but domain.com does not. |
Sub-domain redirect | A forward set for a single sub-domain. | test.domain.com forwards to destinationdomain.com, but shop.domain.com does not. |
Warning: A wildcard sub-domain redirect is not recommended. It can affect DMARC and other services if you use additional sub-domains of the same domain.
Before you begin
- An A record pointing to the forwarding service. Forwarding requires an A record set to 64.99.64.37. If you forward many domains, you can create a DNS template with that A record and reuse it.
- OpenSRS nameservers. The domain must use OpenSRS nameservers, set to Use our nameservers, for forwarding to work.
Note: For Storefront nameservers (such as ns1.shopco.com), the forwarding A record is 64.99.64.32 and must be added through the Storefront end-user portal instead.
Step 1: Open the domain's DNS settings
Locate the domain and confirm it uses OpenSRS nameservers.
- Click the Domains tab in the Reseller Control Panel.
- Enter the domain name and click Search.
- Click the domain name in the search results.
- In the Nameservers section, click Edit and confirm the provider is set to Use our nameservers.
Step 2: Add the forwarding A record
Add the A record that points the domain at the forwarding service.
- In the DNS section, click Edit.
- If you have a forwarding template, choose it from the DNS Template drop-down list and click Apply.
- If you do not have a template, choose A Record from the Add Record drop-down list and enter 64.99.64.37 in the IP Address field.
Step 3: Add the forward and set the destination
Choose the forward type and where visitors should land.
- From the Add Record drop-down list, choose Forward or Masked Forward. With a masked forward, the original domain name stays in the browser address bar; with a standard forward, the destination address is shown.
- If you chose Masked Forward, you can optionally set the page title (shown in the browser title bar), a page description, and comma-separated page keywords.
- In the Destination URL field, enter the address to redirect visitors to, for example http://www.mycompany.com/ or http://12.34.43.123.
- Click Save DNS settings.
Note: Masked forwards and HTTPS redirection depend on whether the destination server permits them, so they may not work in every case.
Next steps
- Reuse a forwarding setup across domains by creating a DNS template.
- Let registrants manage forwarding themselves through The Manage Web Interface (MWI).
Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.